The present invention relates to manual tools and will particularly pertain to the new and improved safety attachment to the portions of the tool, usually referred to as the handle, contacted by the hands of the user during the use of the tool.
The frequency and the dangers of misplaced tools is so prevalent that comic relief is given to the situation. How many cartoon and real life characters have stepped on the upturned rake or hoe to their mortification| While this is funny when there is no permanent damage, it only happens in the movies. Serious injury about the home and work site is a major problem and usually includes the use of tools. One major concern addressed by this invention is safety.
For example, a hammer or rake or shovel or hoe or pick or hedge clippers laying in the yard or about any work place pose real dangers because the normal coloration of the tool blends into the background. The wooden handles of these tools takes on a brown or tan color and the blades or tines are most always rust colored. These things become unguided missiles when run over by other machinery, such as rotary mowers. The possibility of accidently stepping on these tools is also increased by their camouflage.
Further, it is not necessarily forgetfulness that the tools are left in the work place. The blending of the tool into its background leads to loss through a lack of visibility. In a construction environment, where there are many workers handling several different manual tools, the loss of the tools through misplacement is a significant cost.
The use of hand tools produces significant friction between the user's hands and the handle of the implement. The wooden or metal handles of hand tools become difficult to control when they become wet during use sometimes creating accidents and injury through misdirection of the tool. The occasional users of such equipment may incur injuries to the hands, if not sufficiently protected. Conventional protection includes work gloves which, in themselves, are a source of irritation whether it is forgetting to carry them or the heat or perspiration resulting from their use. The hand injuries resulting from the use of hand tools include blisters, sprains, strains, and general soreness produced by the shock transmitted by the tools to the hands. Several patents show hand tools with various protective devices attached to the handles, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,132; 4,089,379; 4,054,313; 3,981,043; 3,874,686; 3,237,950; 1,976,411; 1,942,493; 1,752,064; 1,632,227; and 1,248,445.